Sunday, July 1, 2012

Flank Steak with Chimichurri


I have always been intrigued by Chimichurri. It was this, supposedly, magical Argentinian sauce I had always heard of, but never tried. From what the ingredients were, I knew I would probably love it... but until a couple of years ago I had never tasted the stuff!

Then, within a short amount of time, I tasted about 3 different versions... and, while they were good, they tasted totally different! It was mind blowing. I thought it was supposed to be this classic dish, so I figured they would all be fairly similar. Wrong. Some were way more parsley-y, others with much more cilantro, and one was more of a vinegar based liquid with little fresh herb to speak of. I like the cilantro kind the best, myself!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Chimichurri... it is an Argentinian sauce used on grilled meats.  It is usually made out of lots of fresh herbs (parsley, oregano, and cilantro) and is often bright green, in my experience. That is the extent of my knowledge... sorry to disappoint

So, my secret is out... I'm by no means a Chimichurri expert. However, I wanted to come up with a recipe that I liked and could make with my fresh herbs in the summer time!

I took what I liked in different kinds that I've tried and made a combo of about 6 different recipes to come up with this... a pretty freaking fantastic Chimichurri, if you ask me! I won't be searching for recipes anymore... this one is a keeper. 

Flank Steak marinade
  • 1/4 c. vegetable oil
  • 2 Tbl. red wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbl. worcestershire sauce
  • 3 Tbl. brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. mustard (I used a spicy dijon)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper steak immediately before grilling
Marinade the flank steak overnight (or if you don't have time, at least for a couple of hours). 

Preheat your grill to high heat. Take the steak out of the marinade and salt and pepper both sides right before grilling. For medium rare steak, grill about 5-7 min on each side. 

Take meat off the grill and cover with foil, to let it rest.


Chimichuri Sauce
  • 2 Tbl. fresh oregano
  • 1/2-2/3 c. chopped cilantro
  • 1/2-2/3 c. chopped parsley
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 4 Tbl. fresh lemon juice (about half a lemon)
  • 1 minced shallot
  • 2 Tbl. red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp. red pepper flake
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • salt to taste
Basically take all of the above ingredients, and blend them together until the consistency is like a sauce. Super easy... and REALLY YUMMY!!! Fresh light flavors great for summer grilling season and I got to use all fresh herbs from my garden!

Let me know how you like it!